Daisy's Blog

DAISY STORIES - The Oak
by Crystal Jones © 1995-2007

Chapter 3

“Have you any children?”
“Yes, we have two daughters who do well at school back home in Russia. I telephoned them to make sure my wife’s disappearance had nothing to do with them, but they both assured me that they were perfectly ok.”
Daisy was finishing her black coffee sip by sip. She had taken in everything she had heard and was trying to work things out.
“I think this,” she summarised, “you are sincere in what you say and have no idea why this all happened. But you have given me absolutely no elements to understand why your wife should disappear suddenly with no explanation.”
The oak loosened his tie and waited for Daisy to continue.
“So the best thing to do is to reflect if anything she has said recently seemed strange and report it back to me - for all we know she might have already walked into the embassy while you were coming here.”
The oak seemed temporarily relieved. “Miss Hamilton, you are just as Detective-Inspector Singleton described. You have given me no false hopes. I will go back to the embassy and do what you have suggested. I think she hasn't returned yet, otherwise my secretary would have called me on my mobile. I told her a lie about my wife visiting friends in Scotland.”
“Mr. Zubkov, if you have any news for me please call me immediately, day or night.”

During the night when burglars do their work, Daisy was woken up by her mobile phone. “Zubkov speaking, Miss Hamilton. My wife has come back but refuses to tell me what happened. I asked her about her disappearance and she burst into tears and refused to answer any questions. Miss Hamilton, I’m terrified that she may leave me again if I insist too much in questioning her.”
“Mr. Zubkov, I’m glad your wife has come back, but, as you say, she may take flight again if you upset her. Let me think...” Daisy rubbed her eyes and blinked. “I could try following her if you like, but you must help me by telling me when she is going out.”
“That’s quite difficult, as she is a pretty active person, but I think my wife is going to the dentist’s this afternoon at four o’clock. She probably will keep the appointment as she has trouble with a wisdom tooth.”
“All right then, give me the address and phone number of the dentist and I’ll see what I can do.”

Daisy had been accepted for an appointment at the dentist’s for six o’clock. When she arrived early at three-thirty the receptionist was very surprised and told her she must wait a long time. Daisy assured her she didn’t mind, settled down in a huge armchair and nearly fell asleep. After about twenty minutes, the door opened and the receptionist showed in a very pretty lady of about forty. “Mrs. Zubkov, please make yourself comfortable. There are some magazines on the table if you want something to read.”
Daisy pretended to be sleepy, this part wasn’t difficult, and observed Valentina Zubkov from her armchair. She was fair-haired, beautifully slim and elegantly dressed, very unlike her husband. She wore make-up which only enhanced her fascinating slightly slanting emerald -coloured eyes.
Mrs. Zubkov stared at the floor as if lost in thought, then pulled out a newspaper cutting from her bag and read it over and over again. When the receptionist returned she put the newspaper cutting away quickly as though she were guilty of something, and then followed the receptionist into the surgery.

(to be continued)

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